Nominee for head of utilities commission faces review

AUGUSTA, Maine — A nominee for Maine’s Public Utilities Commission who’s held the same post previously faces a confirmation review by a legislative committee.

Thomas Welch of Hancock is to appear before the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee on Monday.

Gov. Paul LePage’s nominee would join Commissioners Vendean Vafiades and David Littell on the PUC. Welch served as chairman of the PUC from 1993 to 2005 and before that was a law school professor, chief deputy attorney general for Pennsylvania’s antitrust division and in-house counsel for Bell Atlantic.

If confirmed by the Senate, Welch would fill a slot vacated by Commission Chairman Jack Cashman, who’s served since 2008.